Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I use washed play sand but it is just to dusty for me, my adult mali loves to makes my room a mess(cover everything in dust). I was wondering if I could use dry bed a beast by itself, or if i should mix it with sand

Bed-a-Beast, I imagine, will just give you more dust, just a different type. We use play sand but wash it thoroughly & then screen it before putting our Uros on it. Never had a problem, not one. I really believe that good, solid, tight hides are far more important than substrate. If you've enclosures large & deep enough to allow actual burrows, more power to you. Most owners can't pull that off. The thing about sand is, it's very easy to clean. One thought about millet & rabbit food substrate: how healthy is it to have your Uros feeding off substrate that they constantly crap on?? The never-ending debate continues...

I would be particularly careful with the bed-a-beast depending on how you are considering using it. You say "dry" but do you mean after you have soaked it, and then let it dry? or straight out of the package? Because of its water absorption I would definitely not use it without expanding it first... I seem to remember there were some other concerns about it too, but I do not remember what it was.

I have also not had a problem with dust, but I run a pretty hardcore air purifier in my house so it is possible that it is just being cleaned fast enough I do not notice it.

Elizabeth
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1.0 Mali Uro Archimedes (May he rest in peace)
0.0.1 Egyptian Uro Zuberi Mosca Khu (Mosca)
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine (RIP)
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

I was referring to the dust WITHIN the cage. From my little experience with the stuff, I'd think it would be hard on the lungs in it's dry condition.

Maybe it depends on the company you get your sand from?

I buy the stuff from lowes that comes in the 50lb bag and it's not in the least bit dusty.
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1.0.0 Thoroughbred
1.0.0 Mali Uromastyx
0.1.0 Bearded Dragon
0.1.0 Crested Gecko
1.2.0 German Shepherds
1.2.0 Cats
0.1.1 Birds (Cockatiel and Conure)
1.1.0 Rabbits
0.0.2 Yellow bellied sliders
3 Fish tanks (SW and FW)

Ever consider just using plain old dirt? Even bagged topsoil (what I usually use) seems to work okay in areas where you can't dig up good dirt. Just make sure it doesn't have any additives. I think this would give you what you're looking for in the bed-a-beast (a non-dusty substrate), and it will give the lizards what they are looking for, which is a good footing and the ability to dig around. If you can't fit 12" of dirt in the tank, don't worry about it. Even 2" of dirt is good, because they will dig in it in their hidespots. You have to water it regularly (I usually do ever 2-3 days) or else it basically turns into sand. Once you get it right though, it will have a nice, dry, hardened layer on top, and nice moist dirt just below the surface. The added humidity in the hidespots from dirt also does wonders for uros (any reptiles, really).

Just some food for thought. I've tried a lot of substrates, and dirt is the only thing I have found that I'm really satisfied with for uromastyx, bearded dragons, tortoises, and other such creatures.

i changed to bed a beast and it is working awsome he loves it in there. I keep my feed foot on bed a beast too, and an thinking of chnagiing my bearded dragons to it next, it wirks great for all my reptiles except snakes i keep them on cypress